Raw Materials Inspire at Kulapat Yantrasast Exhibit

Almost all architectural projects begin with the same basic ingredients: wood, metal, glass, and stone. To celebrate these raw materials Kulapat Yantrasast, founder and creative director of
Why Design
, has curated a selection of pieces by iconic designers from around the world for an exhibition at
R 20th Century
in New York.

Titled “What’s the Matter?,” the show, on view through November 1, will tap into Yantrasast’s extensive inventory and focus on the different ways designers approach similar materials. “I want people to be wowed by how different artists use similar materials, but with different results,” Yantrasast says. “Look at wood from Brazil, Japan, or the United States. They’re all different and this show brings out the essence of how different people and different generations use it.”

An architect by trade but a fan of cooking, Yantrasast likens architecture and design to a chef in the kitchen. “I’ve always liked the similarities between design and food,” he says. “When you talk about food and cooking, chefs transform ingredients and bring out their essence through advanced techniques. I feel the same way about object design and architecture.”